


Into the Great Sea

by erinium



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Hyrule (Linked Universe)-centric, Legend (Linked Universe)-centric, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), but it's mostly drama, but it's not a beach episode, im trying not to spoil anything with my tags, it's also a little fluffy, my beta reader called it dramatic, the boys go swimming
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:33:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28079970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/erinium/pseuds/erinium
Summary: It happened in a flash. One moment, they were walking through the colourful hues of the Akkala region of Wild’s Hyrule and the next they were falling. They hadn’t even had a moment to register a portal opening under them before it had swallowed them. They barely had time to realize they were falling before they plunged into something vast and wet.
Comments: 7
Kudos: 121





	Into the Great Sea

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't posted any of my work online in probably around 5 or 6 years. This is the first time in that long that someone who isn't my good friend is reading something I wrote! I'm terrified! :) 
> 
> This is a quick little oneshot because this idea wouldn't leave me alone and LU is my current obsession. I'm not kidding. You can ask my friends. It's literally the only thing I talk about.
> 
> They say to write drunk and edit sober but I wrote this sober, worked up the courage to post it drunk, and did a final edit while still a little tipsy so I hope it reads okay.

It happened in a flash. One moment, they were walking through the colourful hues of the Akkala region of Wild’s Hyrule and the next they were falling. They hadn’t even had a moment to register a portal opening under them before it had swallowed them. They barely had time to realize they were falling before they plunged into something vast and wet. 

Legend kicked to the surface, taking a much-needed breath as he breached. “Never thought I’d end up in the middle of an ocean like this again,” he murmured to himself. A moment later, Twilight appeared next to him, and a second after that, Time joined them.

“What happened?” Twilight asked.

“Portal must’ve opened under us,” Time said.

“This must be-” Twilight began, cut off by the salty water making its way into his mouth. He gagged and spit.

“It’s my Hyrule!” Wind said, popping excitedly out of the water with a splash. 

Wild appeared next to Wind a moment later and looked around, eyes wide. “Woah. It really is just water as far as the eye can see.”

Warriors and Four emerged a short distance away, Four’s wet hair forming a curtain over his face. Warriors laughed at him, “that’s a good look for you, Smithy!”

Four rolled his eyes (though no one could see it) then dipped under the surface briefly to smooth it back. He and Warriors swam to where the others were gathered. 

“Where are we?” Four asked.

“It’s my Hyrule!” Wind announced again. “We finally came to my Hyrule!”

Sky surfaced facing away from them and spun around. As he swam over, he gestured behind himself with his head. “Hey, guys, did you see that?”

They all looked. A short swim away, an island with a welcoming-looking beach rose out of the water.

“Alright, we’ll head over there. Is everyone here?” Time asked.

They all looked around, taking inventory of each other. 

“Wait, where’s ‘Rule?” Legend asked.

They looked around again.

“Can anyone see him?” Twilight asked. 

“‘Rule!” Wind called, cupping his mouth with his hands. 

“What if he didn’t make it through the portal?” Wild asked.

“He must have made it,” Time said. “No one has been left behind before.”

“Can he swim?” Four asked. A quiet dread quickly set over them.

Before anyone could stop him, Legend took a deep breath and dove under the waves.

“Legend! Wait!” Twilight called. He swam to where Legend had vanished and dove after him. The others looked at each other in worry.

“Spread out!” Time commanded, “see if you can find him!” And with that, Time swam a short distance away and dove under. The others followed his lead, each picking a direction and diving under.

Under the water, Legend stopped a good way under the surface and looked around. They’d all fallen together and he’d been walking next to Hyrule when they fell; Hyrule couldn’t have gone far. He quickly rummaged through his satchel. He always had his flippers with him, but as his lungs began to burn, he wished he had his mermaid suit. 

He stayed under as long as he could manage, but the need for air drove him up. He passed Twilight on his way up and after he breached, Twilight joined him. 

The others were appearing and disappearing across the water as they dove and came up for air, and while above the water, they called for Hyrule. 

Legend took a breath and got ready to dive again, but Twilight grabbed his wrist, stopping him.

“Legend, wait,” Twilight said. “Take this.” He handed Legend what looked like a hood or helmet, but with a piece of fabric to go over where the wearer’s mouth and nose would be. 

“I don’t need your trinket,” Legend said, trying to wrench free, but Twilight was stronger and held on.

“It’ll let you breathe underwater,” Twilight said. “You’re a faster swimmer than me, even without those flippers. Take it. Give it to ‘Rule when you find him.”

Legend hesitated a moment longer, then snatched the hood and pulled it on. He took a breath as he dove under, but quickly realized it hadn’t been necessary. Twilight was right. With the hood over his mouth and nose, he could breathe underwater just like when he had his mermaid suit on.

Under the water again, Legend swam lower, looking all around for Hyrule. Then, suddenly, he saw him, his body limp and slowly sinking lower and lower. Legend swam for him, working his legs harder than he ever had before, until he had Hyrule in his arms. He took a breath and pulled Twilight’s hood off and slid it over Hyrule’s head. 

Hyrule’s eyes fluttered open, then locked onto Legend and widened in surprise. His hands dug into Legend’s tunic and held on tightly, then he looked around at the underwater world he found himself in. Bubbles rose from behind the fabric over his mouth and Legend guessed that Hyrule was trying to say something, but he couldn’t hear what and merely shook his head. His lungs began to burn again and he quickly began swimming for the surface. It felt like it took ages to breach, but then there they were. Legend rapidly sucked sweet air into his lungs, panting from the exertion of swimming so hard. He was still supporting Hyrule in his arms, his successor taking in the strange, watery world they had landed in for the first time.

Then Hyrule looked at Legend, saw how he was panting. He pulled the hood he was wearing off his head. “Are you okay?” he asked.

Legend scoffed at the question. “Why are you asking _me_ that? You’re the one who almost drowned.”

Hyrule’s shoulders fell and he frowned. “I’m sorry.”

“No, no!” Legend berated himself. He _knew_ he couldn’t say things like that to Hyrule. “You just...had me- had us worried. I didn’t know you can’t swim.”

Hyrule met Legend’s eyes, a small smile gracing his features. “Thank you for saving me.”

“Are...you okay?” Legend asked.

Hyrule nodded. “I’m fine.”

Then Twilight spotted them and called to the others. Soon enough, they’d regrouped around Hyrule and Legend. Various versions of the questions “are you okay” and “what happened” poured out of all of them. Hyrule waved them all off. 

“I’m fine,” Hyrule said. “I, uh...I can’t swim.”

Wind looked both shocked and almost offended at the revelation. “How can you not know how to swim?”

“Not everyone grew up surrounded by water,” Warriors told him.

“Guess I just never learned,” Hyrule added sheepishly.

“I don’t remember _learning_ to swim,” Wind said. “I just always _knew_.”

“I remember having to learn,” Four said. “It just doesn’t come naturally to everyone.”

“Can we continue this conversation on land?” Sky asked, pointing to the nearby island. 

“I’ll race ya!” Warriors announced. He turned and took off, swimming as fast as he could.

“Wait for me!” Wind called after him.

"Last one there is a rotten hydromelon!" Wild shouted as he joined in the race.

As they started swimming to the island, Legend readjusted so Hyrule was on his back, arms wrapped around Legend’s neck.

Before long, they were all wandering onto the sand and drying off in the afternoon sun.

**Author's Note:**

> I struggled hard to come up with a name for this. If you'd like, you can read the title to the tune of Into The Unknown. I don't judge.
> 
> Anyway, it occurred to me that every Link either swims or gets an item that lets them swim at some point in their adventure with the exception of Hyrule. The argument could be made that by the same logic, Warriors might not know how to swim either, but his game has a level that takes place in Lake Hylia so I'm just going to ignore that. Plus, Legend is my best boy and I love him having a soft spot for Hyrule and if two of them couldn't swim this whole thing just wouldn't play out the same. Sue me. 
> 
> Did I research drowning or how to revive a drowning person before writing this? Hell no. Did I extensively research all the Links' (but especially Legend's) items before writing it? You bet your ass I did.
> 
> I'm not original. This has probably been done before. But it hasn't been done by me until now so hopefully my version does the concept justice. Sorry the ending is weak af :') Thank you for reading my work! <3


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